Len_derby

Many's the time I've thought my sound was pants but people in the audience have said it was fine, or even good! So, I've become very cautious about judging how things sound 'out there' when I'm right on top of my rig. My suggestion is to get one or more person you trust and get them to give you an opinion about how you sound from the audience.

In Different Every Time, the biography of Robert Wyatt, he talks about the time Soft Machine toured America with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He says some interesting things in general about Hendrix and is complementary about Redding's role in keeping everything together during performances.

Go on, give her a real treat and bring her along. Having missed last year's I'm looking forward to this one.

Over-loud kick drum. There's a venue local to me where the sound man ruins pretty much every act because of this.

Hi Frank, it fascinates me too. I can recommend 'Albion' by Peter Ackroyd. A study of the English point-of-view through history. Apparently, the first recorded writing by someone who could be called English, a monk called Gildas, was along the lines of 'things ain't so good as when the Romans were here '. 😂😂

There seems to be a strain of nostalgia (especially among the English) that there was once a golden age when things were better. Luckily we don't apply that to medicine! 😄

I'll be turning 60 in 2018. My enthusiasm and interest for playing music is as strong as ever but I'm determined to not waste any time. I've always been happy to play music of pretty much any genre with any type of musician, but I've had enough of time wasters. No gigs = goodbye

Yes, it can be irritating. However, I find it quite a good 'Darwin Award' check. Some one is trying to sell you something. Collection or some kind of postage is inevitable. They don't make it clear where they live. Likelihood of a smooth transaction?

17 in all, but almost every one in the first 6 months of the year. i was in an originals band playing folk-punk. We were managing to get at least 2 paying gigs a month, plus radio performances and festivals. It wasn't really going in a direction I was interested in, and what with a fulltime 'normal' job making demands I decided to bow out in July after the recording of the second CD. The back-end of the year has been quiet but I've got a new project starting in the new year, plus the revival of an old band. I'm looking forward to 2018.

If you're near Derby you are very welcome to come and try mine. Choice of Yamha, Fender and Warwick. All good workhorses in their individual ways. At your budget I'd strongly recommend buying a second hand instrument. In my experience you need to spend a fair bit more to get a decent 5er compared to a 4 string. Partly due to availability but also because of apparent compromises made in design. Mr Big Red X is much more eloquent on this than me. Hopefully he'll be along soon.

Interesting. Tony Williams is mostly playing the hi-hat on In a Silent Way, how do you think that fits into the history? Anyway, to stop hijacking the thread, I've always liked Ringo's drumming. It's just so,well, totally Beatle-ish.

I got my ACS from Boots. The bigger branches have in-store audiology clinics. It took two visits; one to have the moulds made, one to collect. The off-the-shelf kind may be almost as good in terms of functionality, but the custom made are so, so more comfortable.

I think there might be something in the air. Yesterday I had 30 minutes to kill in Long Eaton before catching a bus. It's not a town I know very well at all and I was surprised to see what looked like a reasonably big music shop. However, I felt no urge to check it out. The quirky micro pub practically next door to it got my undivided attention. ??

Yes, seconded. Top work.

"Collection only, I don't trust couriers." With no indication where the seller lives.....

Christopher, I can recommend checking out The Distractions. I did a project with one of their members and have kept an eye on them since. They can do cheese but are pretty flexible in my experience and very competent. Based in Kimbleh (Kimberley 😉).

Don't just leave us all hanging. Do you?

A Jewish pal of mine tells me that the word gig is Yiddish and basically means 'a job' or a 'piece of work'. Not sure if that helps this discussion, but if true, the word has a wider meaning than just music.

The music locker

School hall in Chaddesden, Derby 1973 My age 15 Playing a borrowed Hofner Violin bass. Can't remember what I played it through. A 12-piece band including a decent brass section. The set was mostly show tunes, the only one I can remember now is "Some Echanted Evening" from South Pacific. All good fun, but not really representative of what I did for most of the 70's!

I played a 45 minute set with The Daz Kelly Band at the Duffield Arts Festival yesterday. It was my first live performance since July, when I last played with 5 Hills Out. Yesterday I took my Yamaha Bex 4 and played it through my Roland cube 100, which was mic'd up. There was a good sound engineer, who told me he was going to be on duty all of both days of the festival. I made sure I gave him a good shoutout from the stage. I didn't buy him a beer until after our set though 😉 Also in attendance was one of our newer members, Flaxholme Lis, who lives just down the road from the venue and came on her push-bike. Rock n' Roll!

Get onto Radio 6 now. Craig Charles about to do a 30 minute tribute.

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1505767437' post='3374211'] Is this your Folk-Punk ensemble going the way of all flesh? I wondered if you'd be doing either Oxjam or Hockley Hustle next month. Might finally get to hear you play! [/quote] The band, 5 Hiils Out, found a replacement and is carrying on I'm glad to say. It was all amicable and they put a nice 'obituary' for me on their Facebook page. 😄 I'll have more spare time to come and see you now John!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1505750042' post='3374011'] Interesting,over here in the Midwest Bands can't wait till Festival and fair season. The poorly run would be the the exception. Blue [/quote] To be fair, I think I might be in the minority amongst gigging musicians in not enjoying festivals.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1505660061' post='3373392'] Fair and festival gigs in The States are great. Usually you play half the time of a bar gig and your pay is doubled. And the weather is usually great. Blue [/quote] From what I understand Blue, your state and county fairs have a reasonably long history and take place in proper show grounds with decent infrastructure. There are lot iof festivals in the UK that have sprung up in the last 20 or so years and have, in my opinion, poor quality facilities and organisation. Also, in my experience, if you're not fairly high up the bill you won't get a cash payment. The 'fee' is free entry for the whole festival. Which puts a different light on things. Although, I agree with you, set times are often short plus PA, lights and backline is usually supplied.